Boot or shoe sewing machine



(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 1.

.D. MILLS & D. MILLS, Jr. BOOT 0B, SHOE SEWING MAGHINE.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 2. D.. MILLS 8v D. MILLS, Jr. BOOT OE SHOE SEWING MACHINE No. 477,431. Patented June 21 1892.

(No Model.) 4 sheetssheer 3.

D. MILLS 8a D. MILLS, Jr. BOOT 0E SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 477,431. Patented June 21, 1892..

' ma mms refus co., mmunw., mandan-mn. n. c.

`(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

D. MILLS & D. MILLS, Jr. B001? 0R SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 477,431. Patented June 21, 1892,.

Ffd 6. JQ. 7 ITL/ @1228 Ffa/2. fm1@ UNITED STATES DANIEL MILLS AND DANIEL'L MILLS, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PATENT Genion.

BOOT OR SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIONformng part of Letters Patent No.47'7,431, dated June 21, 1892.

Application filed December l, 1890. Serial No. 373,198. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL MILLS and.

DANIEL MILLS, J r., citizens of the United States, and residents ot' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in loot or Shoe Sewing' Machines, of which the following'is aspeeification.

Our invention relates to improvements in boot or shoe sewing machinery whose gen` eral character is set forth in various United States and English patents granted to Daniel Mills, as follows: United States Patents No. 953,731, dated August 17,1869,No.96,944, dated November 1G, 1869, and No. 97,951, dated December 14, 1869, No. 101,644, dated April 5, 1870, No. 127,423, dated June 4, 1872, and English Patents No. 1,237, dated April 30, 1870, No. 937dated April 8, 1871, No. 2,899, dated October 28, 1871, No. 4,279, dated December 9, 1875, and No. 1,190, dated March 17, 1876; and our present improvements are devised especially with reference to use in a modernized form of machine, upon which are also based a series ot applications iiled by said Daniel Mills on the 6th day Iof October, 1891.

The machinery described in the specifications ot the Letters Patent and applications before alluded to is designed for sewing a Welt to the insole and upper, for stitching the outsole to the welt, and also for sewing the soles to the uppers of turned shoes.

The characteristic features of the mechanism are a curved needle which has a reciprocating motion or partial rotation to and fro around an axis and operates either with or withoutan awl, and with a looper, feeddog,and back or bottom gage, and in the case of the lock-stitch machines with adiscoidal bobhin, a hook for carrying the thread over the same, and Aother devices actuated by suitable cams, the whole of the mechanism being supported in a strong head placed on a stand in such a manner as to permit the work to be properly presented to the sewing mechanism.

- Our present improvements are fully set forth and specifically claimed hereinafter` and relate to means for preventing the needlethread from cutting the welt. These comprise a welt-protector for preventing the pulling of the needle-thread upon and over the welt while the preceding stitch is being drawn tight. or set and the thread is beingdrawn from the tension devices for the new stitch, a device for regulating or adjusting the movement of the take-up or pull-back lever, so as to correctly determine the amount of slack thread, and thereby regulate the embedding of the thread in the welt as it is set, a device for imparting a yielding tension to the needlethread during the time that the same is being laid in the barb of the needle, so as to prevent the protector from interfering with this duty, and mechanism for locking the needle-thread during the time when the loop which has been passed over the bobbin is being partly pulled back and also during the time that the looper is applying the thread tothe barb of the needle, so that the spring tension will work properly.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of the machine With our present improvements, showing the parts in position for sewingwelts or turned work. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the liue`3 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 5 G, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar section of part of the mechanism with the head adjusted to a different position and with a certain change in the needle back gage and in the position ot the welt-protector to adapt the machine for fair-stitching or sewing soles to welts. Figs. 6 to 15 are detached views of parts of the machine, and Figs. 1G to 2O are diagrams illustrating the operation of the welt-protector- Like letters represent corresponding parts in each iigure.

The head is composed ofthe two parts A A2, secured together by transverse bolts, the va rious parts of the operating mechanism being mounted on said head, the parts A A2 of which have bearings formed in them for the reception of the main shaft C, to which are secured the various cams for operating the working' parts of the machine.

The needle is shown at b, c being the awl; d, the needle-shield; e, the feed-dog; ff2, respectively, the feed back gage and needle back gage; g, the back-gage lever; 7i, the looper; e', the take-up or pull-back lever; j, the hook for carrying the needle-thread over the bobbin 7c, and n the holder for carrying the `needle and bobbin threads laterally and holding them out ot' the way of the hook, it being understood that these parts are constructed IOO and operated in the same or substantially the same manner asin the machines shown in the previous applications before referred to, unless special reference is hereinafter made to the construction and operation of these parts or to some alteration or modification therein.

.The feed-dog lever c is carried by the feedlever c1, as before, and pivoted to said lever e1 is the stitch-regulating lever e2, which is vibrated by a cam on the shaft C, one arm of the lever c1 having a set-screw @15 and the feed-lever e1-liaving stop-lugs @11, one of which serves to limit the movement of the stitchregulating lever upon the feed-lever in one direction, while the other serves, in connection with the set-screw 615, to limit such movementin the opposite direction, so that by adjustment of said set-screw @15 the lost motion of the stitch-regulatin g lever can be increased or diminished,and the movement of the feedlever thus caused to be as much less than the positive throw of the cam as is required for the amount of feed desired for each stitch. It is occasionally necessary, however, to quickly vary the length of stitch. For instance, in sewing around the shank portion of the shoe the stitch is much longer than in sewing around the fore portion, and as it is usual to begin the sewing at the heel end of the shank at one side of the shoe it is desirable to start lwith a long stitch and to quickly change from said long stitch to a shortstitch in passing from the shank to the fore part of the shoe and back again from a short stitch to a long stitch in passing from the fore part to the shank on the opposite side of the shoe. Thefeed-lever e1 therefore has a wedge 015 for interposition between the short arm of thelever c9 and the corresponding lug e111 onv the lever, so as to reduce the lost motion of the lever e5 and thus cause a longer stroke of the feed-lever as long as the wedge is thus interposed. v

The wedge @15 in the presentinstance forms part of a plate c1, provided with a suitable operating-handle @15, projecting at the righthand side of the machine, said plate beingretained in the position lo which it is adjusted by reason of the friction of a spring @15, interposed between the plate and the head of a setscrew e111, carried by the feed-lever e1, as shown in Fig. 15.

In machines of the class to which our invention relates the stitch is drawn tight or set by the hook pulling uponthe needlethread in order to carry it over the bobbin for the succeeding stitch, and if the thread from the stitch which is being pulled tight or set is drawn over the welt it has a tendency to draw into or embeditself in said welt to such an extent that the welt is damaged, and the line of stitches does not stand up on the face of the welt as prominently as it is desirable that it should. In our present machine, therefore, we provide what we call a welt-protector, which is simply a finger inserted between the needle-thread and the face of the Welt and serving as a bearing for said needle-thread while the needle is rising and drawing the thread being delivered by the pull-back lever and while the hook is pulling upon the loop of thread taken from the needle so as to draw tight or set the preceding stitch and pull the thread required from the tension device, this welt-protecting finger being withdrawn and releasing the needle-thread just before the hook reaches the limit of its upward movement, whereby, in connection with means hereinafter set forth, sufficient thread is left to be drawn down properly upon the face of the welt by the hook in completing its movement.

The welt-protecting finger is shown at M and is carried by a lever M, which has an upwardly-projecting arm M2 and is hung by means of a stud M3 to a link M1, the latter being pivoted by means of a bolt M5 to the back-gage lever g, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, so that the welt-protector is always maintained in the same relative position tothe Ibearing-face of the back gage f2, as shown in Fig. 5. Hence Whatever the thickness of the sole and welt may be the distance of the welt-protector from the face of the welt is always the same. The arm M2 of the protectorlever M is controlled by an arm M7 on a rockshaft M5, suitably mounted in the frame of the machine, another arm MS on the shaft M5 being under the iniiuence of a cam M11 on the side of the cam-disk B11, so that a rocking movement is imparted to the shaft M5, and thence to the lever M2, so as to raise and lower the protector M for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The protector also has a lateral motion, which is effected by means of a rod `or shaft M9, which passes through the hollow shaft M6 and has at its inner end a forked or bifurcated head M10, embracing the arm M2 of the lever, as shown in Fig. 10, the outer end of said rod M9 having an adjustable head or cap M12, which is acted upon by a lever M12, hung to a stud M1'1 on the portion A2 of the head and having an anti-friction roller M15, acted upon by a cam M16 at the end of the cam-disk B2, this cam being in the form of a depression in the disk, as shown in Fig. ll, and the anti-friction roller M15 being caused to enter this depression by reason of the action of a spring M15, interposed between the head M12 and a shoulder in the tubular end of the rocker shaft M5, as also shown in Fig. 11.

hen sewing welts or turned shoes, the finger M is raised on the lever M', as shown in Fig. 2, so as to be out of the way of the needlethread and above the needle back gage used in this class of work; but in fair stitching or sewing soles to welts the needle back gage and feed back gage are changed and the iinger is projected, as shown in Fig. 5. The operation of the welt-protector under these circumstances will be understood on reference to Figs. 16 to 20. i/Vhen in its normal position,

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the protector is in close contact with the bottom or needle back gage f 2, and when the needle passes through the work occupies a position between the needle and the preceding stitch, so that when the thread is laid in the bard of the needle by the looper it will be engaged by the protector, as shown in Fig. 16. As the needle rises through the work it forms above the latter a loop, which is caught by the rotating hook j, as shown in Fig. 17, and said hook then carries this loop up over the bobbin and during this movement pulls tight or sets the preceding` stitch in the channel of the sole, as shown in Fig. 18, and also pulls a certain amount of thread from the tension devices for the next stitch. The welt-protector remains in the under loop of needlethread during the time that the preceding stitchis being drawn or set and the thread drawn from the tension devices; but before the hook reaches the limit of its upward movement the protector is Withdrawn from the under loop of needle-thread, as shown in Fig. 19, so that in completing its movement the rotating hook draws up this loop against the surface of the welt, there being just enough thread in the loop, in connection with the thread given 0E by the pull-back lever, as hereinafter set forth, to permit of the drawing of the thread properly upon the surface of said weit. As there is practically no drawing of the thread over the surface of the Welt from one awl-hole to the other in drawing up or setting the stitches and pulling the thread from the tension devices, there is 11o Wearing away or indenting of the welt at or near the awl-holes. l-Ience each stitch stands upon the face of the welt without undue embedment in the welt and the welt is not partially cut through or damaged by the needle-thread. After being withdrawn from the under loop of needle-thread the protector goes back and over the needle-thread and is then depressed in front of the thread running to the looper, as shown in Fig. 19, so as to engage with said thread, and projected again to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 20, before the awl puncturcs the work for the formation of a new stitch. Hence on thenext descent of the needle the parts are in the position shown in Figi 1G and the operations above described are repeated.

We are aware that various methods have been devised for the purpose of accomplishing the object of this feature of our invention-such, for instance, as measuring off the various lengths of thread to suit the various thickness of work; but such devices arc complicated, as they require automatic adjustment, whereas in our case the welt-protector docs not require adjustment, but acts in precisely the same manner without regard to the thickness of the work.

It is desirable, as before set forth, to dcliver to the hook a certain amount of slack thread when the hook is passing the loop of needle-thread over the bobbin, so thattht-ne` will be no undue strain on the thread, and the loop will not be pulled too tightly upon the face of the Welt after the withdrawal of the protector. For this reason the take-up or pull-back lever is journaled at 'on the side of the head A ofthe machine and has an antifriction roller 2, which is acted upon by a cam on the main shaft C; but this cam, instead of being single, as in the former machine, is made in two parts B BX, the latter being pivoted to a screw-stud 8, so that said portion BX, which constitutes the tail end of the cam, can be adjusted to a position nearer to or farther from the axis of the cam, and thus regulate the amount of slack thread delivered to the hook when the roller 2 of the take-np lever finally leaves the cam BX.

In the front portion of the cam BX is a spring-tongue 7, also j ournaied on the stud 8,

this tongue being pressed outward by a spring 2 in such a manner that when the springtongue is passing under the roller 2 the lever is subjected to a yielding upward pressure, and at this time the looper is applying the thread to the barb of the needle, so that said thread is drawn tightly across the'face of the needle, and its engagement with the barb of the needle is thus insured, irrespective of the presence of the protector.

It is desirable to lock the thread at the time when the loop which has been passed over the bobbin is being pulled back and also during the time that the looper is putting the thread in the barb of the needle, so that there will be no delivery of thread from the tension devices during such times, and the spring-tension can be properly exerted upon the thread. The thread, therefore, after leaving the tension devices and before being acted upon by the roller on the outer end of the take-uplever, is passed several times around a drum 11, which is mounted upon a stud or spindle 12 on the frame of the machine and is recessed for the reception of a split ring 13, Fig. 13, which has near its free ends two openings, one for the reception of a pin 11 on the frame and the other for thereception of a pin 15, carried by a lever 111, which is slotted for the passage of said pin 111, and the lever 11j is mounted upon the stud 12, as shown in Fig. 3. This lever 111 is acted upon by a spring 17 and carries an anti-friction roller 18 for being acted upon by a cam 19, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. Vihen the arm of the lever is being acted upon by the high portions of said cam 19, the split ring 13 is contracted, and hence the drum 11 is free to turn on the stud 12, so as to permit the free delivery of thread; but wheneverthe roller 1S passes from the high portion of the cam 19 the spring 17 causes such a movement of the lever 1 as to expand the split ring 12, and thus prevent any rotating movement of the drum 11 and any further delivery of thread therefrom. p

The feed back gage f has a bearing upon and the needle back gage f2is carried by the back-gage lever g, which has an anti-friction IIO roller g, acted upon by a cam g2 on the camdisk B2 when the machine is intended for sewing welts or turned work, so as to retract the needle back gage andlever during the feed, so that the feed back gage is allowed to slide on the Work without any pressure, in orderto prevent the makin g of plaits or puckering of the upper, the gages being pressed against the work, however, as soon as the feed movement is completed, owing to the action of lthe spring g4 upon the back-gage lever when the roller g leaves the cam g2. Vhen fair stitching or sewing outsoles to welts, the cam g2 is removed, the lever g and back gages f and f2 being then always subject to the action of the spring g4.

The back-gage locking-lever g8 is acted upon by two cams gw, so as to unlock the back-gage lever g during the forward and backward movements of the feed-lever e4, the back-gage lever being at the required times firmly looked by reason of the movement of the lever g8 under the influence of the spring gu.

The bobbin k is adapted to a bobbin-case t, which fits within the bobbin-holder j?, the latter entering the recess at the front end of the hook-shaftjZ, so that an ordinary fiat bobbin can be used, the case 7c having a beveled edge 7a2, over which the loop of needle-thread can be drawn, whereby the necessity of forming the bobbin with beveled periphery is avoided. The bobbin-case, however, is nct beveled throughout its entire periphery, a portion of this periphery being flat, as shown at 7a3, Figs. 8 and 9, so that when the bobbin-case rests within the bobbin-holderj5 this flat porltion of the case will form the bearing against the pull of the thread, and hence there will be no tendency for the bobbin-case to slip down from t e holder and wedge itself between the hol er and tho retainer, as might result if the bobbin-case has a beveled or tapered periphery throughout. On the fiat part 7c3 of the bobbin-case is a small tension-spring 7a4, which constitutes a tension device for the bobbin-thread.

The bobbin-holder has an internal spring j, tending to project the bobbin and bobbincase against the retainer-platej, Fig. 1, and the latter is hung to a stud jg@ on the frame, and is acted upon by a spring jm, tending to lift it, so as to expose the bobbin-case, the retainer-plate being normally held in the lower or retaining position by means of a lockinglever j, which engages with a stud j23 on said retainer-plate, the locking-lever being preferably held up by a springj24, as shown in Fig. 14. By simply depressing the outer end of this lever j, therefore, the stud f3 is released and the retainer-plate will be lifted by the action of the springjzl, and the plate will be Aautoi'natically relocked when again depressed, so as to permit the lever j22 to engage with the stud f3, quick changing of the bobbins being thus rendered possible.

It should be understood that we do not claim in this specification the feeding or work-holding devices of the machine, nor the mechanism for operating the bobbin-hook, nor the general details in construction which we have illustrated, as such parts of the machine form the subjects of the separate applications before alluded to, our presentinvention relating to the welt-protector and to the devices operating in conjunction therewith. Itis manifest, however, that the welt-protecting finger can be used in, connection with machines having equivalent devices for performing the functions ofthe rotating hook and bobbin-for instance, a vibratnghook or a shuttle acting in conjunction with a suitable take-up-the rotating hook and bobbin being, however, in all cases preferred as the simplest device for the purpose.A

NVe therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination of the feeding devices, the needle, the looper, the bobbin, and the bobbin-hook with a welt-protector consisting of a finger so located in respect to said hook as to permit of the passage of the work between them, and means for moving said finger so as to cause it to .first engage and then release that portion of the thread which is between the stitch being formed and the preceding stitch, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the feeding devices, the needle, the looper, the bobbin, and the bobbin-hook with the welt-protector consisting of a finger so located in respect to said bobbinhook as to permit of the passage of the work between them, and means for moving said finger both transversely and longitudinally, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the feeding devices, the needle, the looper, the bobbin, and the bobbin-hook with the welt-protecting finger, the needle back gage, and a lever carrying said welt-protecting finger and hung to the backgage carrier, wherebyv said welt-protecting finger always retains the same relative position to said back gage, irrespective of the thickness of the work,substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the feeding devices, the needle, the looper, the bobbin, and the bobbin-hook with the welt-protecting finger, the pivoted lever carrying the same, a secondary lever acting on the said welt-protector lever to vibrate the same, a sliding shaft having a head engaging with said welt-protector lever to swing the same longitudinally, and means for operating said secondary lever and sliding shaft, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the feeding devices, the needle, the looper, the bobbin and bobbinhook, and the welt-protector with the takeup or pull-back lever, the two-part'operatingcam therefor, and means for adjusting the tail part of the cam, whereby the extent of movement of the take-up or pull-back lever for the delivery of slack thread may be regulated, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of the feeding devices,

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the needle, the looper, the bobbin and bobbinheok, the pu1l-baek, the tension device, and the Welt-protector with a thread-locking deviee and With ineens for operating the seine, s0 is to leek the thread during the zic-tion of the pull-back and While the looper is applying the thread to the needle, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the feeding devices, the needle, the looper, the bobbin and bobbinhook, the welt-protector, the take-np or pullbaek lever for the needle-thread, and an 0perating-eani for said lever, having a springtongue, whereby :i yielding* pressure or draft is imparted to the thread When the looper is 15 laying the saine in the barb of the needle, substantially as specified;

In testimony whereof We have signed our names `t0 this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DANL. MILLS. DANL. MILLS, JR.

Witnesses: y

EUGENE ELTERICH, HARRY SMITH. 

